Weekly Newsletter

Iceland’s PM Brings Up Haukur Hilmarsson Case With Angela Merkel

On the occasion of meeting Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel last Monday, Katrín Jakobsdóttir asked for help in the case of an Icelander who likely fell in Afrin last month. Turkish authorities have contended they do not have Haukur Hilmarsson in custody.

RÚV reports that Katrín and Merkel discussed numerous issues during their roughly hour-long meeting. Amongst them was the matter of Haukur Hilmarsson, an Icelander who fought with the International Freedom Brigade in Syria and was reported killed in action in Afrin during a Turkish bombardment.

“When we talked about Turkey, I used the opportunity to request that our officials could get assistance from our colleagues in Germany, in light of the fact that we have no experience in such matters,” she told reporters, adding that the request was well received.

Further complicating matters is that Haukur’s remains, if he indeed died in combat, have yet to be found. This has caused considerable pain for his family and loved ones, who have been pressuring the Icelandic government to take more expeditious action in locating him.

Nurettin Canikli, Turkey’s Minister of National Defense, has contended that they do not have Haukur, or his remains, in custody. As such, his ultimate fate still remains unknown.

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